Coupler operating rod support



Nov. 25, 1958 E. FURNISS COUPLER OPERATING ROD SUPPORT Filed April 26, 1956 M I H mm m m a? w E E E m L i Y T R B R N f Q mm 1 .w\h- NT w v M mm mm vm h m kw .\u g flwx j United States PatentO COUPLER OPERATING ROD SUPPORT Loree Elwyn Furniss, Groveport, Ohio, assignor to The Buckeye Steel Castings Company, Columbus, Ohio Application April 26, 1956, Serial No. 580,797 Claims. ((31. 213-171 The present invention relates to railway couplers and more specifically pertains to a support for the outer end of a rod which serves to actuate the lock operating mechanism of a knuckle type coupler.

The outer end portion of a coupler operating rod has in the past been supported by a bracket rigidly attached to the end of the car body. Such a bracket provides support for the outer end portion of the rod adjacent the handle permitting rotation and sliding of the rod in the bracket during horizontal angling of the coupler. The prior bracket includes a horizontal abutment surface positioned adjacent a depending portion at the outer end of the rod and forming a part of the handle. In service and during application of pulling forces acting on the coupler it is shifted forwardly with respect to the body sill structure as permitted by the resilient character of the draft gear. Such forward movement of the coupler with reference to the body of the car causes the hook-shaped inner end of the coupler operating rod to be moved forwardly and the outer end portion of the rod is moved towards the end of the car body because the rod may pivot 'in the bearing portion of the supporting bracket. Such movement of the outer end portion of the coupler operating rod causes the handle to swing outwardly and to rotate the operating rod in a direction for lifting the lock of the coupler. Such rotation of the rod is often suificient to disengage the anticreep mechanism thus creating a condition whereby the lock is free to be bounced or move upwardly to a position unlocking the knuckle for free swinging to an open position. In cases where there is a failure of some structural part of the draft rigging and when the coupler is pulled out of the draft attachment the coupler operating rod is rotated sufficiently to lift the lock and free the knuckle for movement to an open position whereby the coupler is detached from a mated coupler and the interlocking safety features of a coupler such as the type F are rendered ineffective.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a support for the outer end portion of a coupler operating rod which includesan abutment for the handle which islfree to turn with the pivoting of the rod so that the abutment is maintained in alignment with the rod without causing the handle to swing outward or the rod to rotate during outward movement of the coupler and the inner end of the rod with respect to the car body even when the coupler is accidentally pulled out of the draft rigging. I Another object of the invention is to provide a support for a coupler operating rod which will permit relative unlimited free pivoting of the outer end portion in a substantially horizontal plane and to provide a support assembly which facilitates the mounting of the operating rod in a position to operate the lock-mechanism and provides for convenient removal of the gperating rodduring repairs of the coupler or draft attachment parts and which also effectively precludes the possibility of the outer end of the rod falling on the right of way during service.

2,861,698 Patented Nov. 25,1958

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Other objects and features of the invention will be appreciated and become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains as the present disclosure proceeds and upon consideration of the accompanying drawing and the following detailed description wherein an exemplary embodiment of the invention is disclosed.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a plan view of a device exhibiting the invention supporting a conventional type of coupler operating rod.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of a bracket for the rod support.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front elevation of the sleeve and a portion of the arm carried thereby.

The structure relates to an assembly for supporting the outer end of a coupler operating rod of a conventional type so that the rod may rotate about its axis to release the anticreep mechanism and lift the lock in an intended unlocking of the coupler. The supporting assembly for the outer end of the rod also permits sliding movements of the rod with reference to the support during horizontal angling movements of the coupler. A characteristic feature of the supporting assembly which exhibits invention pertains to the pivotal mounting of the support for the rod which also carries an abutment so that during longitudinal movements of the coupler stem with respect to the vehicle body there is no angular displacement of the outer end portion of the rod relative to the abutment stop for the handle.

Referring to the drawing there is shown at 10 in Fig. 1 a plate 10 which forms a part of the end of a freight car body. A portion of the coupler is diagrammatically represented at 11 while the stem for the coupler is indicated at 12. A portion of the draft rigging is shown in Fig. 2 and the striker casting is diagrammatically depicted at 14. A conventional type of coupler operating rod 16 is provided with a hook-shaped inner end 17 for engaging an eyelet or the like in the rotor of an operating mechanism for the lock and the anticreep mechanism of the .coupler. The outer end portion 19 of the rod is of conventional design and includes a substantially straight portion 18 which in the inoperative position depends in a-generally vertical plane from the outer extremity of the rod portion 19. The handle includes a hand grip 21 which occupies a position below the vertically depending portion 18 in the inoperative position of the rod.

An assembly embodying the invention provides support for the outer end portion 19 of the coupler operating rod and such means includes a sleeve 22. The sleeve 22 has a substantially cylindrical inner surface which serves-to support the rod for rotation about the axis of the end portion 19. An car 23 extends from the sleeve as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The sleeve 22 carries another ear 24 having its free end substantially parallel with the car 23. The car 23 is provided with an opening 26 and a similar opening 27 is formed in the ear 24. These openings are in vertical alignment.

A feature of the invention pertains to an arm 27 which projects beyond the outer end of the sleeve 22 and beyond the handle portion of the rod. The arm 27 is rigid with respect to the sleeve22 and may be formed integral therewith in a casting operation. The arm 27 carries a straight surface 28 which is disposed in a vertical plane and serves. as an abutment for the depending portion 18 of the handle when the coupler operating rod is in an inoperative position. The surface 28 is disposed generally parallel with the sleeve'22' and thus with the straight outer end portion 19 of the rod.' :The arm 27 and the portion .9 providing the abutment surface 28 is connected to the sleeve 22 by means of a web structure 31 as best shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

The supporting assembly includes a bracket 32 which is designed to be secured to the end plate 10 of the car body by means of rivets 30 or the like. The bracket 32 includes a top flange 34 and a bottom flange'36 spaced below the flange 34. These flanges are carried by a base plate 35 and the bracket may be formed in a casting operation. A gusset web 39 may be provided forreinforcing the top flange 34 with respect to the base plate 35. Vertically aligned openings 37 'are' provided in the flanges 34 and 36.

In assembling the coupler rod on a railway vehicle and in operative relationship with the coupler the hookshaped end 17 is engaged in the eyelet or the like of the lock operating mechanism. The sleeve 22 is then placed on the rod and the space between confronting faces of the cars 23 and 24- is sufflcient to permit this member to be moved transversely over the rod. The ear 23 is arranged along the upper surface of the flange 34 and the car 24 then overlies the flange 36. A pin 42 is introduced through the opening 26, the opening 37 in the flange 34 and the opening 27 in the car 24 and through the opening 37 in the flange 36. A head 43 on the pin prevents downward movement of this element in relation to the other parts of the supporting structure. A cotter key or the like may be arranged through a transverse hole in the pin 42 below the flange 36 to hold the pin in operative position.

In operating service and when there is, an outward movement of the coupler 11 with respect to the vehicle body and in the direction of the arrow 46 in Fig. 1 the inner hook-shaped end 17 of the coupler operating rod is moved inthe same direction relative to the vehicle body. The outer end portion 19 of the coupler operating rod is thereby caused to move towards the end of the car body 10 and in the direction of the arrow 48. Such swinging movement is permitted and facilitated by the sleeve 22 swinging in a horizontal plane about the axis of the pin 42. The arm 27 and the abutment surface 28 thereon also moves in the direction of the arrow 48 in Fig. 1 so that the abutment surface 28 does not serve as a fixed abutment for the depending portion'18 and consequently the rod 16 is not rotated about the axis of the straight part 19. Thus there is no tendency of the lock operating mechanism to be moved towards a position for freeing the anticreep mechanism.

The abutment surface 28 at all times remains parallel to the straight outer end portion 19 of the coupler operating rod. Thus horizontal angling of the coupler causes the outer end portion 19 to slide axially in the sleeve 22. The arm 27 is of such length that the depending portion 18 is in front of a mid-portion of the abutment surface 28 when the coupler stem is in a centered position. In case of the coupler stem being pulled from the draft rigging as a result of structural failure the sleeve 22 and the arm 27 turn about the axis of the pin 42. Thus the abutment surface 28 swings with any angling of the coupler operating rod 16 in a horizontal plane and rotation of the coupler operating rod about the axis of the outer end portion 19 is avoided.

The assembly provides for the support of the coupler operating rod so that when the hand grip portion 21 is lifted the rod 16 is rotated about the axis of the end portion 19. During such intended rotation of the coupler operating rod it rotates in the sleeve 22 and is prevented from upward movement therein by the bevelled edge 51 carried by the free end of the top flange 34- of the bracket 32. Such manipulation of the handle will cause the anticreep mechanism of the coupler to be disengaged 4 and further rotation of the rod 16 will lift the lock and shift the knuckle in open position in a known manner.

While the invention has been described with reference to a particular structural arrangement providing for pivoting mounting of the bearing sleeve for the outer end of a coupler operating rod it will be appreciated that changes may be made in the details and the entire assembly. Such modifications and others may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A support for the outer end portion of a coupler operating rod comprising, a bracket adapted for attachment to the end of a railway vehicle body, a sleeve embracing an outer end portion of the coupler operating rod, means supporting said sleeve for pivoting movements on said bracket about a substantially vertical axis, and an arm having an abutment surface thereon extending outwardly beyond the sleeve and rigid with respect there- 2. A support for the outer end portion of a coupler operating rod comprising, a bracket adapted for attachment to the end of a railway vehicle body, a sleeve embracing and serving as a bearing for the outer end portion of the rod, means supporting said sleeve for pivoting movements on said bracket about a substantially vertical axis, an arm integral with said sleeve extending laterally outward therefrom, and a surface on said arm in a substantially vertical plane.

3. A support for the outer end portion of a coupler operating rod comprising, a bracket adapted for attachment to the end of a railway vehicle body, a sleeve embracing and serving as a bearing for the outer end portion of the rod, means supporting said sleeve for pivoting movements on said bracket about a substantially vertical axis, an arm integral with said sleeve extending laterally outward therefrom, a surface on said arm in a substantially vertical plane, and a handle on the outer end part of the rod depending adjacent said surface.

4. A support for the outer end portion of a coupler operating rod comprising, a bracket rigidly secured to an end of a railway vehicle body, a sleeve embracing an outer end portion of the coupler operating rod, means supporting said sleeve for pivoting movements on said bracket about a substantially vertical axis, an arm extending outwardly beyond the sleeve and rigid with respect thereto, an abutment surface on said arm for engagement by a depending handle portion of the rod, and said abutment surface being parallel with the outer end portion of the rod and arranged in a substantially vertical plane.

5. A support for the outer end portion of a coupler operating rod comprising, a bracket base plate for rigid attachment to the end of a railway vehicle body, a flange extending from said base plate,-a second flange vertically spaced with respect to the first flange extending from said base plate, said flanges having vertically aligned openings therein, a sleeve embracing an outer end portion of the coupler operating rod, an ear extending from the sleeve overlying one of said flanges, another ear extending from the sleeve overlying the other flange, a pin extending through said openings and vertically aligned openings in said ears, an arm extending axially beyond an outer end of the sleeve and rigid with respect thereto, and a vertically disposed abutment surface on said arm parallel with the outer end portion of said operating rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,815,704 Cooke July 21, 1931 

